The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-08
A HORRIBLE PLACE.
The Terrors of the Ever-Quaking Oke-
flnokee Swamp.

fnOkee swamp.
From the Netc Orleans Times Democrat
We were in the heart of the Okefinol1ee
swamp. We had reached the swamp at
last In the middle of lake whose black
waters were rippling in a curious fashion
was an island of perhaps 200 acres, covered
with scrubby bushes. All over the island
thin columns of brown smoke could be seen
slowly rising.
II don't understand what keeps the water
disturbed" said one of the men; there is no
breeze"
"Hit am de debbils own pot" said black
Sam, looking wild-eyed and nervous.
We quoted Sam, and put him to work
with the Others constructing rude raft out
of the dead trees which were lying around
in abundance. In short time the raft was
ready, and we padded ourselves to the
island
sit shakes" exclaimed Dupont, who was
the first TO land.
Sam was the next one on shore, but he at
once stepped back on the raft.
de Lawd hab mussyln he said, 81
KANT stan dat
We all followed Dupont, and found that
the island was trembling quite perceptibly.
Perhaps it is floating island" sug-
gested one of my companions
at is nothing of the kind" remarked
~ have heard of it before. but we are
doubtless the first white men who have
landed here in forty years"
what do you know about it," asked
Dupont, quickly.
'Simply this. When Sir Charles Lyell,
the famous British geolog!st, visited this
country, he explored the swamp and exam
ined this very spot. He found it shaking
all the time, with assures in the earth con-
stantly opening and closing, with this same
peculiar smoke rising from them. He came
TO the conclusion that the crust of the earth
was thinner right here than in any locality
of the globe. The volcanic action near the
surface causes the smoke, and also the con
tinual bubbling of the lake. This may have
been going ON for centuries. You know
that the Indian word Okefinokee means
trembling earth"
"Well, can't say that ] care TO camp
here, said Dupont, ''but as we are here we
might as well explore n ittle.r
This was the general opinion, and Sam
was persuaded to leave his quarters on the
raft and trust himself TO the. unstable
land.
II have found geyser," reported one of
our explorers, who had been rambling about
on his own hook.
Guided by him we went 10 a little spring
of boiling water that was gushing forth
near the centre of the island With the
mud. At this place the shaking was so
violent that ii made us staggei and we
could hear under our feet a niuffied roar or
rumble.
"Marse Ross" gasped Sam, II mus git
outer heah."
He made "A run toward the raft, when a
small assure in the earth about a foot vide
yawned in front of him. The poor fellow
dropped ON the ground in specifies terror.
We helped him up and tried to reassure
him, but it was no use. As soon as he was
calm enough TO walk he made a break for
the raft.
"Sam is the only sensible fellow in the
party, said Dupont "There is danger of
breaking leg in one of these assures, and
| don't see why man could not be swallowed
up"
laughed at this Sir Charles Lyell had
spoken of the island as remarkable curl
osity, but had not predicted any serious out
break of the forces Of nature
See that" continued Dupont.
| looked. The fissure which had fright
ened Sam had closed up completely.
drew a long breath. In the midst OF such
phenomena n man feels small. Before
could say anything there was n deafening
roar, thousand cracks opened in the earth,
aud the smoke coming out Of the ground
was 10 thick that NO were almost stified.